Lit Flicks

See how great books can turn into film classics!

Prior to each film, enjoy some popcorn and kick back for a short conversation by film and literary experts. This will be facilitated by Tod Goldberg, director of UCR Palm Desert's low-residency MFA program.

After each film, there will be a brief discussion to talk about the adaptation, what worked, what didn't and what the director left out. We also encourage everyone to read the books that inspired these great films.

Lit Flicks: Dark Secrets, Real Lives

The theme for our third season is "Dark Secrets, Real Lives," featuring three films about secrets, all based on true events. The final film in this series is:

5:30 p.m. Aug. 27: "Philomena" (2013)

The story of a mother's 50-year search for her son, who was conceived out of wedlock and given away for adoption in the United States. The film, nominated for four Academy Awards, is based on the book "The Lost Child of Philomena Lee" by journalist Martin Sixsmith. RSVP now!

Previously screened:

5:30 p.m. July 23: All the President's Men" (1976)

Reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Nixon's resignation. The film is a classic political thriller, based on the 1974 nonfiction book of the same name by Woodward and Bernstein.

5:30 p.m. June 25: "Quiz Show" (1994)

A film about the "Twenty One" quiz show scandals of the 1950s, the rise and fall of popular contestant Charles Van Doren and the subsequent congressional investigation. Based on Richard N. Goodwin's memoir, "Remembering America."

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The University of California has been active in the Coachella Valley for nearly 100 years, initially supporting the agriculture industry and more recently impacting modern growth issues through research in areas such as transportation, air quality, health, and habitat conservation. The UCR Palm Desert Center, established in 2005, serves as a base for UCR’s teaching and research in the desert, providing graduate education to the Coachella Valley through its innovative Master of Fine Arts Low Residency Creative Writing program, continuing education opportunities, and quality public lectures and programs in the arts, humanities and sciences.